Until I Die
by a Porcelain Doll
Summary: Lucy was his, and he'd be damned if he was going to let anything happen to her. "It's ok Lucy, you don't have to fight anymore. I'm going to protect you, until I die."
1. Make the pain go away

**Title: **Until I Die

**Author: **a Porcelain Doll

**Summary: **Lucy was his, and he'd be damned if he was going to let anything happen to her. "It's ok Lucy, you don't have to fight anymore. I'm going to protect you, until I die."

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**Notice: **So, this is my first NaLu story, well, it's my first Fairy Tale story for that matter! To be honest, I'm not that far in the show either, so I'm sorry if I'm behind on some of the themes or character development in the story. Please, though, welcome my story! Since this is my first, comments would be awesome! (Well, feedback in general would be nice.) Tell me if I should continue or not! Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

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**Warning: **I am an EXTREMELY slow updater, so I'm sorry if a chapter takes a while to come out. I have a lot of school work right now and it sucks, but it has to be done. Please support me and send me some positivity you guys! Oh, and don't be afraid to push me to get a chapter out (just be nice about it please). I do respond to questions, so don't be afraid to PM me, I like making friends! Anyways, I'll shut up now and let you read! Enjoy!

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**_Until I Die_**

**_Chapter One: _**_Make the pain go away_

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**W**hy? Why was he here? Why did he come? Anyone, anyone but him. This can't be happening. This shouldn't be happening.

Lucy was lying on the cold stone floor, limp and lifeless. Her bones broken, her face swollen from the bruises, and the ache in her heart. All she wanted to do was complete one mission by herself, one all alone. _"Why do I have to be so weak?"_ She thought "_Why can't I do anything by myself? All I wanted was to prove to Natsu and the Guild that I was just like everyone else. Every time I'm in danger, someone would always come to save me. Why am I so helpless?"_

Lucy took a mission involving a large troll demon that had been worth 30,000. She went off without telling her teammates where she was going in hopes of coming back successful. All she wanted was to do something by herself for a change, and not get herself caught in a situation. Well, it seemed luck hadn't been on her side, as the troll had managed to almost beat her to death. She was sick of being rescued by her teammates all the time, and the man that rescued her the most and the one that she so desperately wanted to impress was here now. He was standing right in front of her facing the troll, prepared to handle whatever the demon had up his sleeve. Lucy knew very well that once Natsu got involved, whether or not she was injured, Lucy would no longer be able to fight. Natsu wouldn't let her, or any of his friends for that matter. He would rather die than watch his friends suffer.

However, the troll was a relatively weak demon, and it was the fact that Natsu had killed it so quickly that brought her even more shame. Lucy stared at his back for awhile, knowing that he didn't want to look at her. She knew he would be mad at her, he hated when his friends got hurt, but for some reason whenever it was her, he stopped showing emotion all together. Finally, after a long, grueling minute, Natsu turned around and began to walk towards her. She squinted her eyes, desperately trying to see his face through her swollen sockets. His eyes were blocked by his hair, but it was evident that no emotion lay on his face. Not wanting to face her shame, she closed her eyes. Slowly, she was lifted off the ground, carried bridal style out of the building.

Lucy's shame overwhelmed her, as painful tears began to leave her eyes. "I don't belong in Fairy Tale" She cried softly "I'm not good enough for the guild, I just hold everyone back. I'm always getting rescued, and I'm always the third wheel." It hurt to cry, but she couldn't help it. "I'm sorry Natsu, I'm so sorry".

"Stop talking" Natsu said, his voice completely monotone. "Rest".

The tears kept on coming, but the more she cried, the more her surroundings began to fade. Her body had finally had enough, and her heart was tired. "I'm so sorry", she began, slowly fading "I'm so sorry Natsu". The world turned to black.

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**T**he light was harsh on her swollen eyelids. Her body was laying on something soft, but she still felt broken. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the light. When they were able to focus, she was looking up at the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. She sat up, trying her best not to inflict more pain upon herself. Looking around her room and out the window, she noticed that she was all by herself and that it was around noon. Her body had been bandaged, and her body felt clammy, most likely from the combination of her sweat and probably the many ointments that were applied to her scratches. Lucy did feel better, but the pain was still evident.

She swung her legs around and began to stand up, careful not to put much weight on her, probably once, broken leg. Hobbling out bedroom, she saw a pair of crutches leaning against the counter top, a note taped to them. Putting the crutches under her arms, the amount of pressure that was released felt amazing. Opening the small paper note, she could immediately recognize the beautiful, cursive handwriting of Mirajane. It read:

"_Hey! Since you're reading this, I'm glad you're feeling better!_

_We've all been really worried about you, especially Natsu._

_Please take it easy for the next couple of days, get lots of bed rest!_

_Oh, and don't worry about missions, Natsu and Happy are going to do them solo while you recover._

_Levy and I are going to come over later in the afternoon to bring you supper._

_Now, go back to sleep, and no going outside!_

_Love you!_

_Xoxo Mirajane"_

All Lucy could do was stand there, unmoving, staring at the middle line of the note. Of course Natsu could go alone, of course no one thought wrongly about that. Even if he was with Happy, Natsu would do everything by himself. She gritted her teeth and crumpled the note and threw it into the garbage. Lucy couldn't stand herself anymore. What was wrong with her? Why did she have to be so weak? Worst of all, her friends from the guild still cared enough to take care of her. No, she didn't want anyone to look after her anymore. She wasn't a child anymore. She wasn't the rich kid she used to be.

Grabbing her jacket, she hobbled her way over to the door. She was just about to turn the handle when she stopped. Lucy did want to get out of her house, it felt like a prison to her right now. Though, she didn't want people on the streets to see her, a member of Fairy Tale, beat up like this. She was trapped. Punching the door as hard as she could, she threw down the crutches and did her best to walk back into her bed.

Pulling the covers over her head, she began to sob. Lucy hated being like this; that cry-baby that couldn't do anything for herself. Why would Natsu want to stay in a team with her for so long? What made him continue to be her partner after all the times he had to break his back and bend over backwards to save her? Natsu was capable of great things, everyone knew that, and all she was doing was holding him back.

Tired of hearing herself cry and wine, she closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

* * *

**L**ucy awoke to the smell of chicken broth and tea. Opening her eyes, a figure slowly came into clear view, it was Levy.

"Well, look who finally woke up." The blue haired mage chimed.

"What's that?" A voice called out from the kitchen. Mirajane came into her doorway, wearing a cooking apron with a ladle in one hand and oven mitt over the other. "Well hey there sleepy head, you woke up just in time, your supper is just about done!" She smiled that motherly smile that made everyone in Fairy Tale swoon to her.

Lucy grabbed her head in pain as she sat up "Ugh, what time is it?" She groaned

"About 8-ish," Levy started "Mira and I have been here about an hour now. Mira's cooking up the leftovers from the feast we had at the guild tonight. I just did a little cleaning here and there."

Lucy smiled, "Thanks guys, it smells amazing." Her head was still pounding. "Any chance I could get some headache medicine?"

"Sure" Mirajane said, walking out of the doorway, only to come back a moment later with a small cup of red liquid.

"Thanks" Lucy smiled, swallowing the horrid tasting liquid in one gulp. "I've got to visit the restroom; I'll be back in a sec." She started to stand up, but her legs gave out from under her, and Levy had to catch her.

"Whoa there ma'am, you're not going anywhere without your crutches." Levy proclaimed

Lucy watched Mirajane walk into the room with the two crutches. "We saw them knocked over on the floor" Mira started "So we thought that you hadn't woken up at all, but the note was gone. Please use the crutches Lucy, you need them."

Lucy stared at the two metal poles. Without saying a word, she grabbed them and placed them under her arms. Looking down, she slowly made her way towards the restroom. With a _clack_ of the door and the locking of the knob, Lucy plopped down on the closed toilet seat. Levy had cleaned in here, she could tell from the rose scent lingering in the air. It took all of her strength to look at herself in the mirror. Part of her wanted to wash the sweat off her forehead, the other was too terrified to look. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw what she had feared the most.

She had been _beaten._ Both of her eye sockets were black and blue and swollen. Her bottom lip had been badly cut, and it gave her a nasty fat lip. A bruise lay on her check, which had been covered by a large band aid. That was just the start though, it got much worse. Her neck was wrapped in gauze , but pulling it down slightly revealed large, painful scratches. Going down lower, though, she was shocked to see was wearing an unfamiliar baggy shirt and pants. Touching the seams of the shirt, she winced in pain. Lifting up the shirt revealed the problem, her entire left side was covered in gauze, but even that couldn't hide the massive black and blue splotches lining her side. Looking lower, her pants were covering her gauze wrapped legs, but what worried her were the red stained splotches that stained the white bandages. Deciding she really didn't want to know, she looked back up at the mirror. God, she looked absolutely terrible. The only, relatively, good looking thing about her was the perfect little hair bun that sat at the top of her head. Most likely Levy's doing. She wasn't at all, surprisingly, self conscious about the way she looked. All it did, though, was bring her more shame.

"_I'm so naive" _Lucy thought. Deciding there was nothing she could do about her appearance; she gently washed her face with cool water and brushed her teeth. It was funny, just cleaning herself up a bit actually made her feel better. Looking at the mirror, Lucy tried to pull a smile, but to no prevail; it hurt too much to smile. Giving up, Lucy grabbed the stupid crutches leaning against the wall and hobbled back out of the bathroom. The small apartment smelled heavenly, and it drew her to the kitchen table, where she found Levy and Mirajane sitting down already. A plate of chicken noodle soup and bread with herbal tea waited for her. As soon as Lucy sat down, she dug into her meal.

"It's no wonder you were hungry, you were out for two days." Mirajane smiled "I'm glad to see you eating. Hopefully you'll regain your strength soon."

Levy smiled too "Yeah, we were all pretty worried about you, even Master asked about you often." Lucy kept eating as Levy continued "Though, Natsu took it pretty hard. I've never seen him so worried before, even Happy had never seen him like that."

Lucy looked up "What do you mean?"

This time, Mira answered "Natsu was really worried about you. He shut himself out and stopped talking to people, he didn't even argue with Gray when he bumped into Natsu. He just, kept to himself, not talking, not smiling."

Lucy couldn't really understand, what was up with Natsu? Yeah he stopped showing emotion when she got hurt, but it never lasted this long. After she was healed, Natsu would always be there to laugh at her. This was odd.

"Where is Natsu anyways?" Lucy asked, whipping away the remaining crumbs on her face with her napkin and sipping the last bit of her tea.

"No one knows, we haven't seen him since yesterday. All he said to us was to tell you to stay in bed and that he would be handling the team's missions for the week. After that he walked off." The blue haired mage said, putting a finger on her chin, looking up at the ceiling as if deep in thought. "Hmm, what is with that boy?"

"So what happened yesterday?" Lucy asked

"After we found out that you had taken the mission alone, Natsu ran out of the guild so fast, Happy couldn't even catch up to him. He came back about an hour later, carrying your lifeless self into the guild hall. He put you on the table so Mira could start helping you."

Mirajane continued the story "Your clothes had been so torn up, that Natsu said he had to wrap his blanket around you. You probably noticed the clothes you're wearing already. They're Natsu's; he had Happy fly to his place to get you the clothes since none of us had any extra clothing and your apartment was locked. After I bandaged you up, Natsu took you back to your apartment. This morning I came by to drop off the crutches and the note, I hope you don't mind, but Natsu left the door unlocked for me."

Lucy was looking down, but underneath her hair, she was blushing like crazy. Natsu had taken off her clothes for the blanket? Natsu had seen her naked? That creep!

Levy laughed "I know what you're thinking Lucy, but don't worry, Natsu isn't that kind of person."

Levy was right, Natsu was anything but a pervert, though, he did have his moments. The thing that made Lucy smile was the thought of him effortlessly getting into her locked apartment after such a long time of barging in uninvited.

"Thank you guys, I feel a lot better." Lucy smiled

"I'm so glad!" Mirajane smiled back "You know we're always here if you need us."

Looking at the both of them, Lucy's heart was warming. She was lucky to have friends like these two, even though she didn't deserve them.

"Go back to sleep, Lucy, you need your rest." Mirajane began, taking her plate and cup to the sink to wash them.

"But I've been asleep for two days." Lucy groaned

"No buts" Levy commanded "You need to recuperate from those injuries. You're pretty beaten up Luce." She smiled

"Don't worry, we'll let ourselves out. Have a good night's rest." Mirajane smiled warmly, which oddly made Lucy sleepy.

As she made her way towards her room, her two friends called goodbye as they left. She curled herself up in her bed, the soft sound of raindrops getting heavier, lulling her to sleep. Her final thoughts were about Natsu. It was funny; he's all she could think about these days. She didn't know why, they were just friends. It aggravated her headache more trying to think of the answer as to why. She decided it was best just to go to sleep.

This odd feeling struck her though, just as she was drifting into darkness. She thought she could sense someone watching her outside in the rain.

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_**Next chapter is in Natsu's point of view! Hope you enjoyed it! Feedback would be much appreciated as well. :)**_


	2. Vanilla Roses & Spinkled Rain

**Notice: **Sorry this chapter is kind of short, but I wanted to hurry and make a new one before the weekend started. I'm going to try an get a new chapter out every weekend, but don't hold me to that! No promises! Haha, oh, and thank you for all of the feedback I got on the last chapter, I loved it! I hope you like this one, and where I'm headed with the story. I think you're all going to love it! Expect lots of lust, battles, and love-triangles! Anyways, enjoy the newest chapter! Muah ~

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**P.S.:** I'm sorry I spelt Fairy Tail wrong in the last chapter, I was in the zone while typing I guess I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry! Forgive meeeee!

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**Title: **Until I Die

**Chapter Two: **Vanilla Roses & Sprinkled Rain

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**N**atsu stared at his fellow teammate through her window from the top of the next door building's roof. The rain now started to pour down on him, and even though he hated the rain, he couldn't move from his spot. Staring at her while she slept was hypnotic to him, and knowing that she was safe somewhere far away in her dreams, it brought him comfort. There was one thing he couldn't understand though, is why the _hell_ he felt like this. Lucy was his teammate, his best friend, and he shouldn't have feelings like this. Whenever Lucy got hurt, he felt like ripping the whole world apart. It was the strangest thing to him, but every time he tried to think about it, it made his insides feel odd. _Was he sick?_

He just noticed these things two days ago though, when he rescued Lucy. God, how he hated seeing her on the floor; completely and utterly broken. She was defenseless, and even over the demon's booming roar, he could hear the faint sound of her crying. Natsu had gone after her as soon as he heard where she was. He knew that if he didn't get there in time, it would have had a fatal outcome. Natsu sprinted as fast as he could; his temperature flaring up so high that the grass he stepped on was charred. He had been so scarred for Lucy's life; all he wanted was to see her. When he did, however, it had brought him to his breaking point. Standing between the Demon and his pray, Natsu lit his flames at the highest temperature he could in his right hand. Then charging the beast at full speed, he punched a hole right through Its' stomach. What's funny is that the demon was actually pretty strong, and had he not been so angry, it probably would have been a formidable foe. Now was the hardest part; facing Lucy. He had wanted so much to turn around and see her usual smiling self. Knowing what he would be looking at, he kept his head down. He was careful not to hurt her more as he picked her up. She was so frail, and the need to protect her, to help her, to keep her locked away from everyone but him was so intense that he couldn't say anything. When she started crying, he wanted to cry too, but he kept his tears back, hiding his eyes. "Rest", was all he could say, as he brought her back to the guild.

Staring at her now, in a peaceful slumber, it took some weight off his shoulders, and he couldn't help but smiling. "I guess I better get back home, Happy might wake up and wonder where I am." Standing up, he stretched his arms and yawned "I'm getting sleepy myself." Natsu turned and got in a crouching position, ready to jump onto the next roof, but as he did, he felt a sudden surge of power in the air.

_What is this? _Natsu was wide eyes, he couldn't move. This rush of energy was so intense, the ground shook. Dirt was falling from the rooftops, and the people on the streets were panicking. Natsu looked around, trying to find the source, but he couldn't. _It's like it's coming from all directions, I can't pinpoint its location._ Slowly, the shaking began to stop, but the most unexpected thing happened. His nose was filled with the most luscious, beautiful scent he had ever come across. It was like vanilla rose petals being sprinkled with rain. The smell was addicting, and he inhaled deeper. He couldn't get enough. He wanted it, he craved it, he _needed _it. All too sudden though, the scent disappeared and the shaking stopped. Feeling a pain in his heart, it was almost like he had lost his warmth with the disappearance of the scent. He was cold, and he longed for it again.

Shaking his head, returning to his senses, he looked at Lucy through the window. That was odd, she was still sound asleep. _I'm pretty sure every person in Magnolia was able to feel that. _Suddenly, he heard Happy's voice behind him.

"Hey Natsu, did you feel that?" Happy asked, flying over and landing on Natsu's shoulder.

"Yeah, I felt it, and I've never felt anything like it." Natsu was now gritting his teeth "C'mon Happy, we need to check with the others about this."

"Aye" Happy nodded, as they raced towards the Fairy Tail guild.

* * *

**O**nce the two reached the Guild, everyone was in an uproar.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted from behind him, "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah, but I have no idea where it came from."

"Natsu, how's Lucy?" Erza rushed up to them

"She's fine, she's still sleeping."

"She slept through that?" Erza asked, puzzled

"I guess she was so exhausted from her fight, who's to blame her." Gray responded

Levy ran up to the three, slightly out of breath from running. "The Master is holding a meeting in the dining hall, everyone's there now."

The three of them looked at each other before they followed levy into the hall. It seemed like everyone in Fairy Tail who was stationed in Magnolia was here.

"Listen up," Makarov began, standing on the second level railing. All of the whispers and murmurs dispersed. "You can all guess why we're here. Not too long ago, a giant earthquake hit, but it was just an earthquake. It was caused by immense serge of power, a power in which no one has been able to locate." Everyone started to whisper again "I'm not sure if the power was threatening or not, but I want everyone to be on high alert. Something big could be coming, and we all need to be prepared when that happens. I've assigned someone to look into whatever this is, but if any of you find anything out, report it right away. Other than that, go about your daily routines as you usually would. I'm telling you this because as my children, I want all of you safe. That is all."

Everyone started to talk again, going back to their tables and sipping their drinks, but the atmosphere was different. Makarov jumped down from the railing and made his way over to the three.

"Master, what's all this about?" Erza asked, her brow furrowing

Makarov sighed "To be honest, I have no idea, but it's bugging me. I've never felt anything like that before. It wasn't threatening, but it wasn't pleasant either."

"Who did you assign to do the research?" Asked Gray

"Mistogan, he's the only one who could do the research without getting noticed. Although, I have no idea what he would be hiding from." Makarov stamped his foot and huffed in anger.

"Master . . .?" Erza questioned

"This is all very frustrating! I've never felt anything like that, and it's driving me crazy!" Makarov huffed out

"Whatever it is, I'm not scared of it!" Natsu blurted out, holding up his fist, ready to fight.

"Shut up hot-head, you don't even know what we're up against, or even if it's an enemy at all." Gray retorted

Natsu growled, but before he could respond to Gray, Erza started talking "What would you like us to do, Master?"

Makarov put his hands behind his back again, looking down. "Nothing right now. Like I said before, it's not threatening. Just continue with what you always do, but be careful."

The three of them nodded. Makarov looked up, looking around. "Lucy did not come?"

"She still sleeping, actually, she slept through the whole thing, I guess she's still pretty under the weather." Natsu answered

Makarov looked down again, deep in thought. "I see," he didn't continue talking, he was too deep in thought.

"Gramps?" Asked Natsu

"Keep monitoring her condition as usual. I'd have Wendy go, but she's been a little under the weather lately. Mira and Levy will continue to go over to her house too." Makarov looked up "If anything happens with her condition, let me know right away."

"Is there something wrong with Lucy?" Gray asked

Makarov crossed his arms beginning to walk away "Is it wrong for an old man to be concerned with his children? Just continue to monitor her condition and tell me if anything changes."

He left the three wizards in the middle of the dining hall, who looked at each other.

"That was odd" Erza started

"Yeah, something's got him worried" Gray added

"Well, whatever it is, I'm ready for it!" Natsu shouted

"Don't be so rash Natsu," Erza scolded "Remember, we have to look after Lucy while she recuperates."

Natsu's expression faded "I know"

"Let's all get some rest, we need all our strength if something bad is coming." Erza said, beginning to walk out of the dining hall. "I'll see you all tomorrow morning, pleasant dreams, and be careful"

Gray and Natsu watched as Erza walked away. "Well," Gray started, relaxing his hands behind his head, "I'm going to sleep, try not to destroy anything will ya idiot?"

"Hey!" Natsu growled, watching Gray walk away. Gray waved a single hand up, not looking back.

Natsu grunted "That bastard" Happy then flew onto Natsu's shoulder, a big fish in his mouth.

"Oh, there you are Happy, trying to find some food huh?" Natsu smiled

"Aye!" Happy said, eating the fish up in a matter of seconds. After he fully swallowed it though, he yawned. "Let's go to sleep Natsu, I'm tired."

Natsu smiled "Yeah, me too buddy." The two left the Guild Hall and started home.

* * *

_**N**atsu was standing at the top of a mountain, watching as grass plains were consumed by a huge, raging fire. The sky was gray with clouds, and the smell of death lingered in the air. _ _"What is this? Where am I?" Natsu asked. He couldn't move his body, he was stuck on the top of the mountain. To his left, he heard people screaming. A whole village was being consumed by flames, and people screamed as they were engulfed inside them._

_Natsu could only stare in horror at what was going on around him. Suddenly, to his right, he heard a large crashing sound. Four large steel pillars had crashed onto a church, crushing it completely. The pillars rose all the way passed the gray clouds. Something was attached to the though, and he had to squint to see what it was. As soon as he saw them, though, his heart sank. Chained to each steel pillar was the beaten corpses of Erza, Gray, Happy, and Lisanna. Tears burned the corner of his eyes. _

_What was this hell? _

_Natsu looked up, but what he saw next, he would never be able to forget. There, flying high in sky, was Igneel. _

"_I-Igneel?" Natsu stuttered out. No, something was off. Now looking at his body, he was covered in battle wounds, and his eyes were glowing yellow. This was not the Igneel Natsu remembered, in fact, this scared him. Without warning, the delicious smell he had encountered earlier was back, but this time it was stronger. His senses heightened, and he felt the instinctive urge to go to the source, which was now slowly descending from the sky. A black figure emerged from an opening in the clouds, as it was hovering in the sky. The small glimpse of stars in the sky confused Natsu even more. The stars were moving. They were making a new shape, something Natsu had never seen before. When the stars stopped moving, it had formed the shape of a giant magic circle. _

_The scent got stronger, and he knew it was coming from the mysterious figure. He couldn't control himself, he wanted to claim the figure, ravish the scent, make it his. Out of nowhere, Igneel released a roar so loud, it pierced Natsu's ears. The star circle behind the figure started to glow, as a ferocious lion's roar bellowed from the stars. Igneel's claws were covered in flames, and Natsu knew that he was going to attack the figure. _

"_No, No! It's mine!" Natsu yelled at Igneel_

_With another loud roar from Igneel, he flew straight towards the figure, ready to strike._

"_Igneel, NO!" Natsu screamed_

Natsu flew straight up in bed. He was panting, drenched in sweat. _What was that? _He grabbed his head, frustrated.

"Natsu . . .?" Happy asked, sitting up wiping his drowsy eyes "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it was just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

Happy stared for a while, but eventually yawned and fell back onto the pillow, continuing his dream of his kingdom of fish. Natsu laid back down, the dream he had just had running through his mind over and over again. Finally, he closed his eyes again, falling aleep again.

* * *

**L**ucy was looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, panting and covered in sweat. She was holding her hand against the wall for support. Her right side stung like no other, and she could feel her flesh burning. Lifting up the shirt slower, three long scratch marks lined her side, still red hot from the flames.


	3. Purple Eyes

**Notice: **Hey guys! This chapter came out pretty quickly, although it is shorter than the other ones T.T. I'm so sorry if the story is confusing you guys right now, but it will all make sense soon, I promise!

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**Until I Die**

**Chapter Three: **Purple Eyes

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"**L**ucy, are you alright?" Loke asked, summoning behind her just in time to catch Lucy inches away from the floor and resting her on his knee. "I'm so sorry I let you go through that for so long. I roared, but I guess it's not enough anymore."

Lucy gave a crooked smile, still deeply in pain "It's alright; it's not your fault."

"The dreams are getting worse aren't they?" Loke lowered his voice

"Yeah, before I would only be able to catch a glimpse of the surroundings before it faded out, but now I witness the whole thing. This is the first time it's actually hurt me." Lucy lifted up the side of her shirt again to examine the scratches once more. The glow from the burning fire had stopped, but it still felt like her flesh was on fire. She reached out to touch them, but it only caused the area more pain.

"Should I go get some ice?" Loke asked

"No thanks, something tells me ice won't work on something like this. I think it's best to just wait it out. Help me up."

Loke gently lifted Lucy to her feet. Taking her crutches, she slowly made her way back to her bed. Loke kept his arms out behind her just in case. When she got back in bed and under the covers, he placed the crutches against the wall and kneeled beside the bed.

"I'll stay with you tonight" He said

She smiled "Thank you Loke, but I think I'll be fine now, it usually only happens only once per night."

"I'm still worried, before I was able to wake you up easily, but now it's getting increasingly harder. I hope that a time won't come when I won't be able to reach you at all."

"Thank you so much Loke, I really appreciate it, but I know how much staying in this world affects you, and I will not risk your health."

He laughed "Lucy, you should know by now that once a lion has made up its mind, it's impossible to convince it otherwise."

She giggled "I guess you're right"

After their laughter had diminished, the room turned solemn once more. Loke broke the silence.

"You know that when the others find out, you're all they're going to be thinking about."

"They're not going to find out. The last thing I want is for them to worry about me. I'm strong enough to get through this on my own. Besides, I don't want to bother them with my troubles."

Loke desperately grabbed Lucy's hand "Lucy, you need them to protect you! You're in no shape to be using any of your spirits right now, you know that! Please, I'm begging you to seek help! I cannot let another one of my masters fall before my eyes!" Loke was on the verge of tears, but he stopped at the sight of Lucy's glowing smile.

"I'll be alright, I have Leo the Lion protecting me, the strongest of the Zodiac. I should have nothing to worry about."

He couldn't understand how she could glow in her present state, but it made him smile.

"Yeah, it must count for something."

Or so he told her. He could feel something bad was coming, something even Leo of the Zodiac might not be able to handle. Lucy's condition was getting worse, but only her celestial spirits could sense it because of their direct connection to her magic. At the rate her health was decreasing, soon she wouldn't be able to summon any of her spirits. Loke would be the only one who could travel through the realms. He feared for her, but right now, the best thing he could do for her was stay by her side and hold her hand until she fell asleep.

* * *

**N**atsu had woken up earlier than usual today, he wanted to check on Lucy before he made his way over to the guild. Happy, complaining about how early it was, chose to stay in bed and meet up at the hall later. It was a beautiful morning; the sun was just rising above the ocean's water line, seagulls flew over head, and the orange morning clouds made the day feel cozy. Natsu walked by the early morning fisherman on the street, just coming back from the sea with their fresh catch. Even though the smell of food was overwhelming, Natsu kept his head straight. _Lucy. Must check on Lucy._

Not bothering to use the front door, he used his usual way of entering by jumping up through her bedroom window. Natsu, with a huge smile on his face, jumped into the window.

"Hey Lucy, are you u-"

Lucy was not In her room, but her bed was still warm. Jumping down to the floor, he made his way into the living room.

"Lucy?" He called. Going into the kitchen, he could hear someone panting, as if gasping for air. He ran behind the counter, only to find Lucy hands-and-knees on the floor surrounded by fallen pots and pans. She was clutching onto her shirt, covered in sweat and barely able to breathe.

"Lucy!" He ran over to her, but at the sound of his voice, she suddenly stopped and began to stand up, struggling.

"Oh," she smiled "Hey Natsu, I didn't know you were here."

"Lucy, what's wrong, are you ok?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine, I just slipped when I was reaching for a pot and they toppled over on me. No big deal."

"You're covered in sweat, and you look awful . . ." He continued

Lucy snapped back "It's hot in here ok? And I was just beaten by a troll demon, so obviously I look horrible alright. Now quit asking questions!"

Natsu stared at her "You're acting strange, this isn't like you. You didn't even yell at me when I came in uninvited. What's wrong with you?"

She sighed "Look, I'm ok, alright. I'm just going to make a quick breakfast, and I was thinking of stopping by the guild today."

"Today? So soon?"

Lucy did her best to fake a smile. "Do you want some breakfast before we head off?"

Natsu wasn't really falling for her act, but at the sound of food, he couldn't resist. He grinned wide "Sure, you know me!"

* * *

**M**ore strange things were happening with Lucy throughout the day. She had burned the pancakes she had made this morning, she never did that. Even though Lucy always spent a long time in the bathroom, she was painfully slow today, and when Natsu aimed his hearing he could hear small whimpers. On the way to the guild, Lucy fell behind, and Natsu would have to wait for her to catch up every tenth step. When they had gotten to the guild, all eyes had been on Lucy. Everyone was silent as she made her way to a table. Mira and Levy rushed over to her, screaming at her for not being in bed, but she just brushed them off. Her appearance also grew worse throughout the day. Her skin had gotten paler, and her face was shiny from sweat. Her eye sockets were beginning to turn a shade of purple, and her hair had lost its bounce. Eventually, she stopped talking to people, and sat at the bar alone. Gray and Erza had tried to start a conversation with her, but they could barely hold it. A sickly atmosphere had covered the guild hall, and the once beautiful day had been replaced by gloom. None of the other Fairy Tail members wanted to be her, and some of them would even cover their mouths and noses when they walked by. It wasn't to be rude, they just didn't want to get sick.

"This isn't good" Erza began, joining Levy, Gajeel, Gray, and Natsu at a table. "We all knew Lucy wasn't well, but this is worse than I imagined."

"Yeah, she's definitely gotten worse throughout the day, and the changes have been drastic." Gray said, keeping his voice down so Lucy, who was still sitting at the bar, couldn't hear.

"I tried to talk her into going back home, but she insisted that she was fine." Levy stated, worry shaking in her voice.

"What exactly happened to her that night, Natsu?" Gajeel asked, keeping his arms crossed

Natsu turned solemn; he didn't like talking about this. "She was badly injured, the troll demon definitely did a number on her."

"Did anything seem unusual to you?" Erza asked

"What the hell kind of question is that? I saw Lucy get pumbled into a ragdoll, does that not count as unusual to you?"

"I know it's hard to think back on, but did you notice anything other than her injuries?" She continued

"Not that I could tell" He shrugged

"Mira and Levy tended to her wounds, so there should be no reason for her to be like this." Gray grumbled

"We checked everything," Levy started "Mira and I tended to all of her injuries, and even though Wendy wasn't there, we were able to tend to all of them. If something was odd we would have noticed it."

"I suppose so," Erza interrupted, keeping her eyes on the back of Lucy "But something isn't right, and I have this uncomfortable feeling in my stomach."

"Gas?" Natsu blurted out

"No you idiot!" Erza yelled, punching him over the head "I mean I feel like we're missing something. We can all agree that this isn't the Lucy we all know."

They all nodded, keeping their eyes to her back.

* * *

**L**ater that night, Levy had made one more attempt to send Lucy home. Surprisingly, she complied, but when Lucy stood up, she fell off balance and Levy had to catch her.

"Oh, I'm sorry Levy" Lucy apologized, her voice a dark monotone

"You're getting worse by the minute!" Levy brushed Lucy's bangs out of her eyes "C'mon, let's get you into the bathroom before we leave."

Levy brought Lucy into the bathroom to clean her face and rush her hair. Lucy looked absolutely horrible, and Levy honestly didn't have any idea of what to do. While she was brushing Lucy's hair, she had accidently bumped into her side, and Lucy gasped in pain.

"What's wrong?" Levy asked

"It's nothing I'm fine. Thank you for brushing my hair, I'll just head home now."

As Lucy walked towards the bathroom door, Levy saw a faint red glow showing underneath her shirt. On instinct, Levy ran over and listed it up, revealing, the three glowing red scratch marks.

"Levy!" Lucy cried in horror

"Lucy, what are those . . .?" Levy asked, shocked

"Nothing, I'm fine" Lucy began towards the door again, but Levy grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Lucy, start talking, what the hell are those things on your side, and why the hell are they glowing?" Lucy had never seen Levy so demanding before.

With a sigh, Lucy sat on the lid of the toilet "A week before my encounter with the troll, I started having these weird dreams. Each night the dreams would get more and more realistic, and Loke would have to help me wake up. Last night was the first time I slept all the through my dream. It turns out that I get scratched in my dream by a big dragon, and well, I woke last night with these."

Levy was speechless. Lucy laughed "It sounds crazy I know, and I can understand if you don't believe me."

"Lucy, we have to tell the Master-"

"No!" Lucy yelled "You can't tell anyone! Promise you won't say a word!"

"Lucy, I can't-"

"You have too!" Lucy was on the verge of tears "Please, I'm begging you! I'm not weak like you all think, I can take care of things on my own! This is nothing, I promise!"

Seeing one of her best friends like this broke her heart. Deciding to wait on what her plan of action was, Levy agreed.

"Alright, but this isn't over Lucy. I'm going to be checking up on you more than usual."

Lucy smiled "Thank you Levy"

"I'm going to have Erza take you home; I'm going to stay here for a bit and help clean up."

"Alright, I'll see you later then." Before Lucy exited the bathroom, she turned to Levy "Oh, and thank you Levy, I appreciate it."

Levy smiled back "Hey, what are friends for?" But as soon as Lucy was gone, she headed straight to the library.

* * *

**L**evy had spent several hours reading up about the events she had heard from Lucy. She was bound to find at least _something _on it. It was almost 3am when Levy came across a book called "A Dragon's Legend". Using her special reading glasses, she began to read the book at lightening speeds. One thing caught her eye, and she turned back to the page.

"_Time of the Dragon's shall rise again, and the one with all four elemental marks shall rule us all. The chosen will rule alongside the King of Flame, and hold the power of the stars. Soon, our time will rise again."_

Levy looked up from her book, "Master . . ." She said as she ran to Makarov's study.


	4. No One Must Know

**Notice: **Hey you guys! I'm SO sorry that this chapter took so long to get out, and that it's so short :( I'll explain! If you didn't know, I'm a senior in high school, and I've been SUPER stressed out! Early Action deadlines for most of the colleges I want to go to end at the end of this month, and I also have to make a short film as well (I'm majoring in Film). Plus, I just got a job, so that has cut into my writing time as well. I've also been really busy with school itself. I'm taking two AP classes and I'm currently reading 2 books for them. Coming up this December and January, I'm retaking my ACT and I'm taking my SAT for the first time. My boyfriend (even though this is kind of a personal issue) is also half way across the country and I haven't seen him in a year in a half, and he was supposed to come up in 2 weeks but he wasn't able to get enough money. So I've been pretty depressed as well as stressed (I've also gained 10 pounds in the past month due to a certain pill I'm taking, and it sucks!) I know it seems like I'm complaining or ranting, but really I'm just trying to make you guys understand why it took so long and why the chapter is so short. All I'm asking is for you guys to be patient, and I promise you won't be disappointed with this story, or of me! :)

* * *

**Until I Die**

**Chapter Four: **No One Must Know

* * *

As the weeks went on, everyone grew increasingly worried about Lucy. Lucy no longer came out of her apartment, and no one had heard from her since the weird experience in the Guild Hall. Mirajane even started to cry when she told members who had been gone for a while what was going on. Mirajane and Levy were told by Makarov to discontinue their visits with her. No one understood anything about what was going on anymore.

Natsu was a wreck. He stopped talking to people; even Happy couldn't get him to speak. He would go on the jobs for days at a time, not letting anyone know he was leaving. Happy told Gray and Erza that he used no restraint with his power while taking jobs. He had even lit a whole village on fire while taking down a small group of bandits. Happy said that every time he was done with a job, he would stand in front of Lucy's apartment, staring into her window. He would stand there even in the rain, sometimes for thirty minutes at a time. Once he was done, he'd return to the Guild, get another job, then leave again.

Fairy Tail was in ruins right now. No one was able to concentrate, and no one felt like working.

* * *

Erza walked down the stairs to the bar, where she found Levy staring blankly into her soda.

"Are you alright?" Erza asked, sitting down on the stool next to her.

Levy continued to stare into space.

"Levy?" Erza put her hand on Levy's shoulder

Suddenly snapping out of it, Levy lifted her head and looked at Erza. "Oh, hey Erza, what's up?"

"I should be asking you that question; what were you thinking about?"

Levy turned solemn. "The same thing everyone else is thinking about. It's so gloomy in here; I can hardly breathe."

"Yeah, it's pretty tough, but I'm sure everything will get better soon."

Erza smiled and stood up, walking over to Gray and Juvia. Levy faced forward again and slowly sipped her drink. Levy knew things that the others didn't. They couldn't find out, if they did, things would get complicated. _Very _complicated.

* * *

"_Master, I have something to show you!" Levy came running into Makarov's study, bursting open the door. She was panting, "Master . . . I've go-" _

_Makarov was standing in front of the fireplace, his hands behind his back, staring blankly. _

"_Master . . .?" Levy asked _

"_I already know what you're going to say. I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone else would find out." He said_

"_Master, what's going on?"_

_Makarov turned around, facing her. "A great battle is going happen; a battle that we probably won't be able to do anything about."_

"_What kind of battle?"_

"_I suppose you looked through the book already. You read the prophecy, correct?"_

"_Yes" Levy said, cautiously_

"_This prophecy has been around for hundreds of years, but it's just now been put into motion."_

"_Please, Master, tell me what's happening!"_

"_Lucy, Natsu, and Loke are about to be thrown into a war that just might destroy them. This prophecy will grant those three powers beyond their wildest dreams, but the question remains; will those three be destroyed by those very powers?"_

"_Shouldn't we help them then? We need to inform the rest of Fairy Tail about th-"_

"_No!" Makarov interrupted "You cannot tell anyone about what is going on. Only those three can handle the problem. However, they may be a time when they will need our help, but I'm afraid the help they would need . . . well . . . it's something that none of us will agree with."_

_Just then, Levy grew tired. So tired, she had a hard time staying awake._

"_Enough, Mystogen, release us." Makarov mermered. Then, the two were back to normal, and standing in front of them was the tall, mysterious rogue Fairy Tail wizard. _

"_Mystogen?" Levy asked_

"_I had asked him to do some research relating to the prophecy." Makarov turned to him "What have you found out?"_

"_The girl doesn't have much time. The prophecy is already in motion." Mystogen answered, calm as usual_

_Makarov let out a "hmmm", then asked "Anything else?"_

"_Only a date; 777."_

_Makarov's eyes shot open "What?"_

"_It seems that all the scrolls I went through had something to do with the year 777."_

"_Isn't that the year the dragons disappeared?" Levy asked_

"_Yes," Makarov answered "But from what I'm understanding, that's not the only thing that happened."_

* * *

Levy sipped her soda again, _what's going on? How does this prophecy thing have anything to do with Natsu, Lucy, and Loke?_ Levy leaned back and groaned in her chair.

"I'm so confused!" She yelled, causing everyone in the guild hall to yell at her, though she was too deep in thought to notice.

Suddenly, Happy came busting into the hall, panting, out of breath.

"Happy?" Gray asked

Erza stood up in an instance, her face completely serious. "Happy, what is it?"

Still panting, he yelled "Lucy is gone!"

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Erza asked

"I went to go see if Natsu had come back and if he was just in front of Lucy's house again, but when I went to go check no one was there! The house is dark, and it looks like her stuff has been tossed around."

"Gray, Juvia," Erza looked back "Let's go."

Gray and Juvia nodded and ran out of the hall behind Erza. Levy walked over to Happy who had collapsed onto a stool from exhaustion.

"Are you alright?" Levy asked

Sighing, Happy looked up at her "I'm all right, I'm just worried about Natsu."

"Natsu?"

"I know that Natsu has been acting this way because of what's been going on with Lucy. I can't imagine how he's going to be when he finds out Lucy is-"

Suddenly, there was a huge explosion that shook the guild hall. It knocked some glasses from the bar off the shelf, and the stool that Happy was laying on fell over.

"What was that?" Happy cried

"I don't know, but it sounds close." Levy replied, as she grabbed Happy and started running out of the hall. "Let's go."


	5. Storm Clouds

Notice: All right, so this chapter is finally getting everything moving! I'm going to leave this intro short so you guys can start reading! Thanks for enjoying my story so far!

* * *

**Until I Die**

**Chapter Five: **Storm Clouds

* * *

**L**evy ran towards the now smoking building in the distance, Happy flying close behind her. It was a thick black smoke, and you could smell it a mile away. As they got closer, they could make out some of the scene. Gray, Erza, and Juvia were circling something, and Levy could see Mirajane, Elfman, and Gajeel running towards the scene as well. When they got there, the two of them gasped. There, surrounded by everyone, and standing in front of a huge smoking whole in a building, was Natsu. He was looking down, his hair covering his eyes, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. There was something different about him. This wasn't the Natsu everyone knew.

"Natsu, what's the meaning of this?" Erza yelled

"Yeah man, what the hell is going on?" Gray said, balling up his fists.

Natsu didn't answer, he just stood there. Suddenly the ground started to shake again, and the second story of the building collapsed in on itself. Everyone shielded their faces from the dust, coughing out the dirt form their lungs. When the smoked cleared, Natsu was still standing in the same place, still looking down.

"Natsu did you do this?" Erza yelled again

Natsu remained silent.

Erza drew her sword, pointing it at Natsu. "I'm not going to ask again."

The atmosphere around everyone grew tense. Overwhelming silence loomed over, and only the sound of the sizzling building could be heard. Then, after a minute, Natsu spoke.

"Where's Lucy?"

Erza loosened up. "What?"

"Where is she?" Natsu's voice was dark, and it scared Levy

Erza answered carefully "We haven't seen her for a month. We had just heard this morning that she was gone."

Natsu whipped his head up. He was unrecognizable. His eyes were black and dragon-like, and his facial features were hard and sharp. He was growling, and all of his sharp teeth were exposed.

Natsu growled evily "Where is she. Tell me. Now!"

Erza and Gray took a fighting stance, but Gajeel was the one to speak. "What the hell do you think you're doing, dumbass? Calm the hell down!"

Natsu jerked his head towards Gajeel, and flames appeared in his hands.

"Natsu, don't!" Erza yelled

Gray shot ice towards Natsu, but the area around him was so hot that it melted the ice before it could touch him. The flames in Natsu's hands grew larger, and he yelled demonically.

"Don't fuck with me!"

Natsu shot the flames from his hand towards the group standing in front of him. They were barely able to dodge it, and a chunk of Mirajane's hair was burnt off.

"Natsu, stop this!" Erza yelled, once again taking up her fighting stance.

"I want Lucy. Give me Lucy!" Natsu tilted his head back and yelled, and the ground below them shook violently.

"Natsu, we aren't hiding her from you!" Mirajane said shyly

"Please, stop this!" Happy yelled also

Levy couldn't believe her eyes. This wasn't like Natsu at all; he would never raise his fist against his friends.

"I've never seen him freak out like this before." Happy said solemnly

In the distance, Gray and Gajeel had started to try and subdue Natsu, but they weren't having any luck. Elfman took Mirajane back to the guild hall, and Erza was so shocked that she couldn't move.

"What's happening?" Levy asked, her voice shaking

"Instinct."

Levy and Happy both jumped, then turned to look at who was standing behind them. Makarov was staring at the group fighting before them, his hands placed behind his back.

"Master?" Levy asked

"Natsu doesn't have control over himself, his mind has shut down. This is all instinct."

"But why?" Happy cried

"Are you aware of the mating process of dragons?" Makarov asked. Levy and Happy shook their heads. "Dragons can only have one mate throughout their lifetime, and the two will then be inseparable. However, the male dragon doesn't choose its mate, it just happens."

"But what does this have to do with Natsu?" Happy asked

"Natsu has lost his mate."

"Lucy?" Levy stuttered "Lucy is his mate?"

"Yes, and it's been this way for a while; I sensed it when Natsu came back from rescuing Lucy. However, I don't think Lucy is aware of this."

"Is Natsu?" Levy asked

"Well, after he returns to his senses, he probably will be. He'll know that Lucy is his mate, and he'll probably chase after her without a second thought."

Another loud crash sounded behind them as another building started smoking.

"We should help!" Levy started running towards the battle, but Makarov stopped her.

"No, let the others handle it, right now they're the only ones who can calm him down."

Happy, Levy, and Makarov fell silent and watched the battle in front of them.

"You're pissing me off!" Gajeel yelled as he flew through the air, ready to punch Natsu. Natsu dodged his fist then punched him in the stomach, sending him flying into Gray.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled again, the ground shaking. Scale patterns started showing on his face, and his eyes and teeth were sharper. His nails had grown to a point, and the air around him was so hot that it was blurry.

"Natsu, please calm down!" Erza yelled again. She still had not moved from her spot.

Suddenly, Natsu's head snapped towards Erza. She gasped, her eyes filled with horror. He slowly walked towards her, his fists lighting on fire.

"Natsu don't!" Gray shouted

"Dammit!" Gajeel groaned, trying to stand up.

As Natsu growled and raised his fists towards Erza, all she could do was watch. Her body couldn't move, she was defenseless.

"N-Natsu . . ." She choked out. Flames shot towards her, and she closed her eyes.

"Drip drip drop."

Erza's eyes shot open, and she watched a huge wave of water crash over Natsu. She looked over towards Juvia, where she was standing defensively in front of Gray and Gajeel. Her eyes turned back to Natsu, who was lying soaking wet on the ground, motionless.

Suddenly able to move, she ran towards him, dropping onto her knees on the ground next of him. Flipping him over on his back, he looked normal again.

"Natsu, get up!" Erza yelled. The others ran towards them; including Levy, Happy, and Makarov.

His eyes fluttered open, and he groaned in pain. "Wh-where am I? What's going on?" As his vision became more clear, his eyes shot open, and he sprang up. "Lucy!" He yelled, but he grabbed his head.

"Relax" Erza started "You need to rest."

Natsu looked around, seeing everyone looking down at him, and the broken smoking buildings behind him. "What happened?"

"You went berserk and attacked everything!" Gajeel yelled

Natsu looked back at Erza "Is that true?"

She nodded.

"What? No, I couldn't have. . . I wouldn't . . ."

"It's true son," Makarov said "And you can remember why if you concentrate."

Natsu suddenly felt a pain in his heart, and the smell of vanilla roses and sprinkled rain entered his nose. He stood up, suddenly fine, and his fists were clenched. "Where's Lucy?" He asked, serious

"We don't know, but there is a possibility that she could be in danger right now." Makarov said, watching carefully at Natsu's actions.

"Then I have to find her!" Natsu yelled, but before he could leave, Gray held Natsu's arms behind his back

"What the hell are you doing? Let me go!" Natsu yelled

"You need to calm down and think, idiot! We don't know what's going on, and we shouldn't act until we do!" Gray yelled back

Natsu continued to struggle, but Makarov broke his focus. "Natsu, Gray is right, we have no idea what is going on right now. And even though I am very worried about my child, I'm still always worried about all my children. I want to keep all of you safe, and I won't let you all run off blind."

"We don't have any time!" Natsu was now hysterical "She could be hurt, or worse! I can't just sit around and wait for that to happen!"

All of the others were surprised at Natsu's outbursts. They had never seen him behave like this.

"Come," Makarov motioned his head in the direction of the guild hall "Let's go regroup. Once everything is in order, you should be able to leave by sundown."

* * *

**B**ack at the guild, Mirajane was brushing her hair, trying to conceal the small burnt patch. Wendy and Elfman had been talking at a table near the bar. When the others entered, they all stood up.

"Natsu?" Mirajane called

Natsu looked at Mirajane, but when he saw her hair, his heart sank. _Did I really do all this? _Then he looked at her face, and she had worry written all over it. Giving her a half smile, he rubbed the back of his head.

"Hey, Mira! Sorry about your hair, I promise I didn't do it on purpose."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Mira gave a small warm smile "I'm just glad that you're alright."

"Everyone, listen up!" Everyone looked up at the second story railing, where Makarov was standing, looking down at everyone. "We don't know what's going on right now, and there is no way of telling whether or not Lucy is all right. I would advise you all to wait a day or two before you start your search, but knowing you bunch, that's extremely unlikely. It seems as though Lucy has only been gone maybe a day or two, so she shouldn't to far, but you never know. I want all of you to pack up all the things you need and prepare for your trip. I do advise all of you, I feel that something bad is coming, and it's approaching fast. Things are going to be different soon, and I want all of you to be on your lookout."

"Master, is there something you aren't telling us?" Erza asked, the room was silent

Makarov looked at each and every one of their faces, but he lingered at Natsu's the longest. Then, breaking the long silence "This is all I know, I just feel that something isn't right." He looked out the window and noticed the sun was starting to set. "Once the sun goes behind those mountains, I want you all to start on this journey. I feel that it will be a very long one at that."

Not saying another word, he hopped off the rail and walked into his office. The others began to talk and prepare their things, but Levy followed Makarov into his office.

"Master?" Levy called, slowing peaking her head through his door. Makarov was looking out his window at the sunset.

"My children are going to be leaving me for a very long time, and when they get back, they won't be the same. They'll never be the same."

"Master, why didn't you tell them about the prophecy?" Levy asked, not moving from her spot

"It is not in my place to interfere. This is between those young ones, and they must find out on their own. It's already big enough that Natsu has realized Lucy is his mate, but there is a far greater meaning to it, and it's going to affect not only the prophecy, but probably our lives." He turned and looked at Levy; his face was hard, but his eyes were sad.

"These young ones are from Fairy Tail, so I have no doubt in my mind that they can do it."

Levy smiled and walked up to Makarov. They both turned and looked out the window, watching as the group of Natsu, Happy, Erza, Gray, and Juvia walked out of the guild hall and down the street, starting their long journey.

"_Be safe" _Levy thought to herself. The sun had set, and the stars were now bright and twinkling in the sky. In the distance, though, large dark clouds hung behind the mountains. Levy clenched the hem of her shirt. _Please. _


End file.
